Creating Beauty In The Home

I was running about an hour behind that afternoon when I finally pulled into the driveway.  Cars lined the street in front of my house and the inside was filled with High School boys, laptops and my husband hosting a football draft party.

When I walked into the house it was a little gloomy looking.  The only light on was the overhead kitchen light.  They were already eating the buffalo wings and no one had a drink.  They were in there zones.  Football and Buffalo Wings.  As guys, it never occurred to them to create a little ambiance for the party.  All they needed was food and football.

The first thing I did was open the blinds, started turning on the lamps, lighting the candles, filling the drink glasses, passing out napkins, refilling the drink glasses and getting the oven turned on to bake some cookies.  Now that's more like it-a little homey atmosphere for the homies.

You know when you enter someones house who has taken a little time to create a nice atmosphere.  You walk in the door and it just feels like home.  Like the kind of place where you can kick your shoes off and stay awhile.  Creating this warm atmosphere does not happen by accident.

If you have a desire to create a home that is always warm and welcoming then join the club!

"Always treat your family like company and your company like family"

That quote is so good.  Keeping your house "company ready" for your family because you love them and they are worth it.  This morning as I looked at my calender I was looking into the face of a wide open month.

If you are wanting a fresh start here is how to begin.  Pull out a notebook or 7 sheets of paper-whatever you have on hand.  This is not the time to go to the store and buy color coordinated cutesy perfect things.  Trust me on this, just get 7 sheets of paper and a pencil.

Label the top of each paper: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.  The idea is to assign certain activities for each day of the week.  To divide your to-do list into days.  This is so efficient.  It becomes like clock-work. You don't even have to think about it.  So take a moment to think about it:  What do I want to accomplish on Mondays?  Keep the list with you all day.  As you move through your day, be thinking about what Mondays should hold for you.

I'm a big believer in the biblical principle, "You reap what you sow."  If you sow a little time into thinking about what every Monday could and should look like, you will reap a harvest of peace in your home in due time.

And guess what, your list is going to change as you tweak it so don't stress about creating a perfect Monday list!

Finding Facebook Freedom

There is something about unplugging for 4 days that brings things back into focus.

I spent the last 4 days with no technology.  Just spending time with family.  Relaxing.  Playing games.  Eating good food.  The trifecta baby.  The place where you thrive.  The place where real life takes place.

Today after a conversation with a friend I am thinking about blogs and Facebook.  The technology that I hate.  That I love.  That I hate that I love.

Thinking about the lack of accountability for time spent on these two things. 

Do you and I have the freedom to as much access to technology as our little hearts desire?

Is it OK that there is no filter on time spent browsing the web?

When we shoo our kids away because we're "busy", does that bring honor into our home?

I'm thinking through accountability in this area. 

When I came to my computer there were 97 emails waiting me.  It took about 5 minutes to delete most of them and respond to the most pressing.  What I would normally spend hours a week on took 5 minutes when dealt with in condensed form.

The rest of my time has been spent in life giving activities.

So the thing I am pondering.  Having Shane have my password to Facebook and only checking it once a week when he logs me in.  Boo.  Yay.  No interaction with the world.  Important interaction with those that matter most.  Seeing what you are doing.  Actually doing something in my realm.

What do you think?  If Facebook and Internet robbing you of real life?

Are You Waiting?

Are you waiting on God for something?

Has He whispered something to you about who you are and what He intends for your life and now you are in a waiting period where He seems silent?

His silence is for your preparation.  He is calling you to something and you have to be prepared.

The waiting time is a good thing.  Like most disciplines, waiting does not feel good.  In God's hands though, waiting is a fruitful thing.

I am reading the book, Visioneering, by Andy Stanley.  If God has given you a vision for your life, read this book.  If you feel you lack vision but want to live life on purpose, read this book.

One thing I am learning is that a good idea can be accomplished from my own strength, knowledge and resources.

A GOD IDEA, the divine kind, well that is limited only by God's potential and resources.

"We must focus on what God has called us to do, not on how he is going to pull it off.  Staying vision focused keeps us God focused.  The vision is a reminder of our dependency.  We remain aware that if God doesn't do something, there is no going forward.  For that reason, people with vision live with a sense of expectancy.  They look for God to do something.  They live by faith in the truest sense of the word.  That is, they are living as if God is going to do what they believe he has promised to do!

In light of a divine vision, our daily faithfulness takes on new significance and importance.  It is no longer faithfulness for faithfulness' sake.  There is something important at stake.  If a visionary doesn't act, something significant won't get done.  Believers with vision live with the knowledge that how may come about independently from their planning.  But it will not come about apart from their faithfulness.  Faithfulness is critical to success." 

-excerpt from Visioneering pg 57-58

Staples

Here is an example of my list-the number beside each thing represents how many I want to have on hand at all times.  Grocery stores use FIFO (first in, first out).  It's a technique used to manage your inventory.   If you use 2 cans of Rotel and you always want 4 cans on hand remember FIFO.  When you get home from the store, don't just put your Rotel in the front.  Move the older cans to the front and put the new cans in the back.  That way your canned goods will not loose expiration because they got lost in the mix.

Canned Goods
tomato paste 6
tomato juice 4
large Campbell's tomato juice 2
whole tomatoes 2
black beans 4
pinto beans 6
green chilis 4
cream of chicken 4
cream of potato 4
cream of mushroom 2
golden mushroom soup 4
french onion soup 2
beef consumme' 4
corn 6
green beans 6
rotel 6
chili beans 2

Seasonings
taco seasoning packets4
Lipton Onion Soup mix 4
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix 4
cumin
oregano
chili powder
beef broth powder
chicken broth powder

(I am new to the beef broth powder and chicken broth powder but they are great flavor enhancers and are only $2.69 on sale at Kroger.  They are by the broths.  You can toss some into your rice or add water to make quick broth.  A lot cheaper than a can of broth!)


Baking
cinammon
sugar
baking soda
baking powder
yeast
vanilla
chocolate chips
all purpose flour
self-rising flour
sweetened condensed milk
brownie mix
cake mix
icing
pudding

Dairy
sour cream
milk
butter
cream cheese
cheddar cheese
yogurt

(I've got to interrupt here to say it never occured to me until yesterday to keep dairy stocked in my fridge. I typically only buy sour cream if we are for sure having Mexican that week...but there are times I wish I had it. Keeping it stocked is such a simple solution! If you have sour cream, cheddar and cream cheese there are TONS of things you can create.  The expiration date is pretty far away on these things so think about that as you buy.  Even if you're not using it in the next week or two, chances are the date will give you several months to work with)

FROZEN
peas and carrots 2
green beans 2
pie crust 2
boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 lb ground chuck packages 5
roast
butter
miniature Reese Cups (for MAMA!)

(I buy my meat at Kroger in a 5 pound package, bring it home and divide it up into 5 smaller portions and freeze them)

MISC
peanut butter
flour tortillas
tortilla chips
rice
angel hair pasta 2
bowtie pasta 2
elbow macaroni 2
Jiffy corn muffins
popcorn
pretzels
crystal lite lemonade
Ramen noodles

I'm keeping this list in my kitchen to make revisions over the next week or so.  In my next post I'm going to share some of these recipes.

Are there some staples I am missing?  My next post I'm sharing some "Pantry Recipes".

List Recipes

If there is one thing I want to be it is prepared.  If you stop by unexpectedly for a visit, I want to be able to ask you to stay for dinner.  I want to be able to share a fun drink and snack with you while we chat.  Today's post is Part 2 of talking about having a well- stocked pantry.  (You can click here to read Part 1)

After you get your pantry organized you get to do the fun part!

You get to make a list!  I know, it's getting too exciting!  Jot down what kind of recipes your family likes that has ingredients you could keep on hand all the time.  For example, my homemade spaghetti sauce calls for 3 cans of tomato paste plus some spices.  I can keep 3 cans of tomato paste, pasta and Parmesan on hand and we'd always be able to have a great Italian dinner.  We have a killer awesome Chili recipe.  Again, with some canned goods, spices and frozen meat we'd have the fixin's for a great dinner.

In my next post I will share my list of staples I came up with.  Your list may look different than mine and that is OK.  Once you make a list of some dishes you always have ingredients for, post it to the inside of your pantry.

 

So your homework today is to write down the names of some meals that don't necessarily require fresh produce.  In other words, you could have all the ingredients on hand at all times to pull from the pantry/fridge/freezer.

Categories to think about include:  Main Dishes, Sides, Bread Options, Desserts, Drinks, Snacks, did I mention Dessert? :)

The Well-Stocked Pantry

The last couple of weeks my grocery store runs have been sporadic. Life happens, and when it does, having a well-stocked pantry can save the day! One small change I've been making is buying an extra gallon of bread and milk at the store each week.  That way if I get caught and can't make my weekly trip to the store, we've got enough to hold us over until I can go.
This yummy creation is one I made strictly from things I pulled from the freezer/pantry.  That got the wheels turning on being proactive at keeping a list of meals/desserts/fun appetizers for unexpected company on hand so I will be prepared all the time.

If this is an interesting idea to you, I'd say the first step is organizing your pantry area. Mine was in a chaotic mess.  I bought bread crumbs 2 weeks ago but in the process of organizing I realized I already had bread crumbs.  Having a systematic approach to your pantry will save you time and money when you go to cook.

If you want to jump on the well-stocked pantry bandwagon with me, Come On!  After you read this, take 15 minutes and go organize your pantry to get an idea of what you have on hand. 

In my next post, I'll tell you how to figure out what you need.  Bon Appetit!

Green Walls, Linen, Seagrass

I love Hancock Fabrics. 

Lurve. 

Luh-hu-uv. 

I have a dream of re-doing my front room.  Painting the walls green.  White accents on the wall.  Seagrass lamp shades.  Framed old sheet music in weathered frames.  Linen colored curtains.

Today at Hancock's I asked the sweet lady if she'd clip me off a sample of fabric.  She clipped me off a quarter size piece (that is a VERY SMALL sample people).  It fell out of my pocket when I got home.  I had no idea.  Until.  Shane started vacuuming.

All of a sudden everything went slow-mo and Chariots of Fire started playing as I looked down and saw my pitiful sample lying on the floor about to get sucked up by the vacuum.

It was too late.

I suppose there is only one solution.  Go back to Hancock's tomorrow.  That is the right thing to do?  Right?

(Shhh, I also NEED the burlap lamp shade I found today.  My brass lamp isn't going to

know what hit it after I slap some white paint on it and give it the new shade.  Such love.)